Page 8 of Taken By the Alien Triton King

When I rose with Samantha through the pool in my chamber, we were finally alone. I did not expect the tidal wave of fierce emotions that crashed through me then; it swept me away, pushing me down a current as inevitable as the rising of the moon.

Chapter 10

Samantha

The water parted around us as Kaerius pulled me to the surface. My heart was still racing, my body trembling from everything that had happened—the Shadefin, the battle, his claim. I clung to him because despite everything, he had come for me. He had saved me.

The water cascaded off his body as he emerged from the pool in his chambers. I had seen him shift before, but never had I admired it as much as I did now. The way his body morphed so fluidly, the way his powerful tail split into strong, muscled legs. The gleam of water sliding down his sculpted chest, the way his dark hair clung to his sharp cheekbones. My breath caught. He was devastating. And he was both so alien and so human at the same time in this form. Only the hint of glittering scales here and there, and the gleaming silver-blue of his eyes, betrayed his true nature. It was exotic, and it was beautiful. He was beautiful.

His grip was firm on me as if he feared I would slip away. But I wasn’t going anywhere. My body knew only one thing for certain: he was safety. That was enough for now. I also knewthat he wanted me with a desperation that no man had ever felt for me before. The cloth that clung to his hips barely hid the rising evidence of his arousal. His cock was jutting straight up, lifting the cloth until I saw a hint of his balls and the base of his shaft. He was completely unabashed about it, without a hint of modesty.

He turned to me, reeling me close with a hand around my wrist. His grip was firm, implacable, but also gentle. His silver eyes were molten with his heat for me, calling forth answering fire inside me. “You are mine,” he said, his voice deep, reverberating through me inside these air-filled chambers, echoing around me, thrumming through my bones.

I should have argued. I should have told him that I didn’t belong to anyone. But the way he was looking at me, the way he had risked everything to claim me—it made something deep inside me tighten, something I wasn’t ready to name. Freezing seemed to be a tendency of mine, one I wasn’t proud of, but his intensity—it was such an aphrodisiac. Nobody had ever wanted me the way this Ondrithar king wanted me, and it was addictive to bask in his heated gaze.

Instead of answering—words failed me anyway—I surged up, pressing my lips to his. The kiss was fire and water all at once—a clash of heat and coolness. His lips were demanding, claiming, but also worshipping. His hands roamed down my back, pressing me closer, and I melted into him.

His fingers found the edges of my damp clothing, peeling the fabric away inch by inch. My breath hitched as cool air kissed my skin, but the heat between us was scorching. He growled lowin his throat, the sound sending shivers through me and pooling heat in my belly.

His hands were reverent as he lifted me, carrying me to the massive bed at the side of the room. The sheets were warm against my back as he followed me down, his mouth never leaving mine. I felt safe—so very safe—beneath the bulk of his large body. Not trapped, but cherished. This was fast, this was crazy, but after what had just happened at that cliff—with those monsters and those nasty traitors—I could not deny any of it. This attraction was one of a kind, and I wanted to know that I could match him, that I fit him the way I’d never fit with anyone else.

When Kaerius began to trail kisses along the column of my throat, I moaned with need, arching beneath him. He went where I desired, his mouth closing over a nipple and sucking deeply. Pleasure lanced through me, hot and sharp, and he followed it down along my belly, lifting my legs wide so he could spear me with his tongue. That’s when I shouted, his name springing from my lips as pleasure clashed and crested. He lifted his head, eyes glowing with satisfaction. “Yes, say my name. Scream it, brave mate.”

I dug my fingers into his shoulders, giving him my fiercest glare. I was always unbalanced around him; he always caught me by surprise with what he did and how he acted. I wanted to know where we stood—I wanted answers. Opening my mouth, even though my timing sucked, I began to ask what was on my mind. And he did it again, derailing my train of thought. This time, he did it by pulling off the piece of fabric that was still valiantly clinging to his narrow hips. My mouth dropped open, and my eyes zeroed in on his proud cock.

We were really doing this, weren’t we? I was sleeping with him, and I had a feeling it would put us well beyond the point of no return. Whatever this was between us—intense, crazy, all-consuming—it would not be something I walked away from. The rational, scientific part of me was telling me I should take a step back and consider all the options, have all the facts. But the biggest part of me didn’t give a shit. I wanted him. He made me feel safe, good, strong—and that was good enough.

His cock was as thick as my wrist and almost as long as my forearm. His scales seemed to press closer to the surface here, or maybe he was just struggling to hold on to his human form, his control worn thin. I thought I was seeing more than my fair share of ridges and lines, as if that thick length was ribbed just to please me.

I caught the gleam in his silver-blue eyes then saw his satisfaction over my appreciative gaze. I licked my lips, and that was fuel to the fire. He curled his fist around my ankle and pulled my leg up against his chest, pinning me open. His hand brushed through my folds, testing my wetness, and I yelped when he slipped a finger inside. That yelp transformed into a moan when he curled that digit and found the bundle of nerves on the inside of my passage.

I wanted to beg him to do it again, wanted to ask him for more, but the warning light in his eyes made me bite my tongue. That was why I didn’t regret it when I let him do what he wanted. His cockhead kissed my opening—blazing hot, thick, but smooth and slippery. It slipped in easily despite his size, and the way that made him growl sent all kinds of pleasure shooting through my body.

He was definitely losing control, scales rippling beneath the silk of his tanned skin. His eyes were wild, his mouth pulled into a snarl that displayed canine teeth sharper than normal. He sank deep, and I felt each ridge tingle across my insides, stretching me wide, flooding my senses with sensation. And then he began thrusting into me, and we spiraled together.

My crest broke first, my muscles clenching tightly around his invasion. I must have shouted, but all I was aware of was my hoarse throat and the way his cock kicked and bucked inside of me as he followed me over that edge. The growl he emitted shaped my name, vibrating through my flesh. I had never felt this good, and when he collapsed on his elbows above me, then gently gathered me against his chest, I had never felt so safe.

Chapter 11

Samantha

I woke to the feel of strong arms wrapped around me, the steady rise and fall of Kaerius’s chest beneath my cheek. His warmth surrounded me—protective, possessive. I felt rested and limber in ways I couldn’t recall ever being before. The gentle twinge between my thighs only served to remind me of all the pleasure he’d given me when he and I had made love earlier. A blush crept up my cheeks as I recalled what we’d gotten up to throughout the night. We’d only taken breaks to scarf down some much-needed food or for short naps.

“You are quiet,” he murmured, his voice still rough from sleep. “Do you regret it?” I turned my head slightly, meeting his gaze. His expression was unreadable, but there was something vulnerable beneath the sharp edges of his features—something hesitant. He was bracing himself for the worst but hopeful for the best.

“No,” I whispered. “I don’t.” How could I? When I had learned so much about passion—about how tender and how wild he could be—about my limits? How could I regret any of what we’ddone after he’d saved me—three times at this point, but who was counting?

Something shifted in his expression, and he let out a breath as if he had been holding it. His fingers traced lazy patterns along my spine. “Good.” This was my Ondrithar king at his most open, his least kingly. He was showing me the side of him that I was certain very few people ever saw.

I swallowed, suddenly nervous. “When you said I was your mate…” I’d been trying to figure out what to make of that from the start and hadn’t begun to believe it was something wondrous until after the first round of sex last night. But I had to have the words, and just as he had been braced for the worst, I now found myself doing the same.

His grip tightened ever so slightly. “You are my one—the only mate I will ever have. It is a bond that cannot be undone.” His voice went rough as he spoke, his silver eyes flashing with passion, with fire. It felt like he was almost daring me to defy him on this point.

My stomach fluttered. The intensity in his voice sent a shiver through me. “And what does that mean for me?” I couldn’t quite figure out what he wanted with a human like me. The fuel stuff that he wanted, maybe—but why call me mate? Why claim me in front of his men? That was bigger.

His gaze darkened, but there was no menace in it—only certainty. “It means you are my queen.” Those were the words I had expected him to say, and yet they still caught me completely by surprise. Kaeirus trailed his hand up my spine, his fingersbrushing my shoulder and then my throat until I tilted my head and met his eyes. Goosebumps rose in the wake of his touch.

I blinked. “Queen?” Was he crazy? Did he even know what he was saying? If he made me queen of the Ondrithar, would his people accept me? At that moment, I realized this might be why I’d nearly been thrown into a nest of Shadefin off the side of a cliff yesterday—at leastsomepeople didn’t want me here. And what would that mean for the humans on the USSLegacy?

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